PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. — The Air Force Technical Applications Center has selected Dr. Paul Son as its first chief data and information officer.
AFTAC, based at Patrick Space Force Base, is responsible for detecting, verifying and analyzing nuclear activity around the world in support of international treaties.
Son joined the center in June and will oversee its data, information technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence strategy.
“Cyber is no longer just a support function,” AFTAC commander Col. Creighton Mullins said. “It is a core domain of military power and a strategic necessity that directly impacts mission success, deterrence and national security.”
Son is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from South Korea. He previously served in the U.S. Army and survived a mortar attack in Iraq that earned him a Purple Heart. He also received a Bronze Star Medal with Valor.
Son became the U.S. Army Cyber Command’s first officer directly commissioned at the rank of lieutenant colonel, according to AFTAC. He medically retired from the Army in 2025 after battling cancer.
Before joining AFTAC, Son served as vice president of counter cyber threat operations for Concentrix, a global technology and services company.
Son holds a doctorate in computer science and has worked in national security, cyberwarfare, data security and artificial intelligence.
His position is part of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, a group of senior civilian leaders who provide technical expertise and continuity across the War Department.
Son said one of his priorities will be helping employees understand where artificial intelligence can improve operations and where human decision-making remains essential.
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